Last Post

Other than a bit of tweaking of the text of some of the posts, adding photographs and editing the video of the Book Cart Drill Teams and puting it on Youtube there will be no more posts on this blog. I hope people who have read it have enjoyed it and have been given some insight into what happened at the ALA Annual 2007.

My Aus Library Technician blog will now resume normal transmission.

Off Home

After lunch on Monday 25th it was time to start our way home. I can assure you that I was ready to come home. We caught the Metro to West Falls Church, then a bus to Dulles Airport. Dulles is interesting as you have to catch a bus sort of vehicle from where you check in to where you depart. From Dulles to LAX. Then LAX to a very cold Sydney.

The Stacks

The Stacks is the ALA Annuals term for their trade exhibition.

The Stacks is spread out over such a large area it is hard to give it dimensions other than many, many, many football fields. From the ALA information there were over 1,600 exhibitors and I can believe it. I could not get around it in the 3 days I had there. On one of the days I was walking in a particular area thought I saw everything. Then on the next I was walking in the same area and came across a display that I thought wasn’t there the previous day. The display belonged to Lexis Nexis and was considerable in size. So either it sprung up overnight or I just missed it the previous day.

From the Exhibitors Guide here are the product categories and some of what they included:
Audio Equipment and materials: audio books, A/v equipment, children’s, educational, historical, instructional and special interest film & video and laser discs/DVDs.
Automation: authority control, bibliographic, cataloguing, computers & peripherals, document delivery systems, integrated systems, automated systems and web products.
Book periodicals and documents: publishers of every genre of book, including e-books, copiers, demographics, journals, microfiche and film and web publishing.
Equipment services and supplies: archival/conservation products, bookmobiles, display cases, environmental products, security systems and storage systems.
Services: associations (ALA & others), consultants, colleges and universities, disaster Federal government services, planning, library promotion and training.

At Australian conferences not much happens in the trade area when the sessions are on. That does not happen at the Stacks. Due to the huge numbers of delegates there are people visiting the Stacks from the time it opens to time it closes.
The ALA Annual also had a Post Office, which is located in the Stacks area. During the breaks there was always a queue of people sending the books, freebies, etc. either to themselves or their workplaces. I think now I should have sent myself a letter with an ALA postmark. Maybe next time.

Cognotes

Cognotes

At Australian library conferences we have a conference publication called EBSCO Express. EBSCO Express is obviously sponsored by EBSCO and contains news items and stories about what has and will happen at the conference. EBSCO has been supporting our conferences in this way for many years and their support is very appreciated.

However, at the ALA Annual they have a conference newspaper called Cognotes. This is a daily newspaper of over 20 pages put together by a team of 12 people. There is and Editor and Assistant Editor, five reporters, a Publisher and Assistant Publisher, Managing Editor, Photographer and Production. It contains colour, as well as, black and white photographs, advertising and as you would expect numerous articles about speakers and delegates.

PDF copies of Cognotes for the conference are available at http://www.ala.org/ala/eventsandconferencesb/annual/2007a/cognotes.htm

ALA Annual Conference Day 3 - Monday 25th June 2007

LSSIRT Meeting

As like the COLT meeting it is interesting to see how other library paraprofessional groups operate. Currently LSSIRT has over 800 members and as this represents more than 1% of the total ALA membership they are entitled to have a Councilor on the ALA Council. This is good news for LSSIRT members and library paraprofessionals.

As LSSIRT only meet as a group on 2 occasions, ALA Annual and ALA Mid Winter Conferences, there is a considerable amount of business that needs to be discussed. Some of the matters discussed were committee reports about Careers Ladders Task Force, programming for their 2008 conference and Certification Project.

The National Certification Program for Library Staff is voluntary and designed to assist in the improvement of service by library support staff. It will be individually based, portable from state to state, would include a basic set of skills and competencies and would establish a basic standard of LSS competency nationwide. The preliminary areas of competencies are: foundations, access services, reference & information services, technical services, reader’s advisory, management & supervision, public programming/exhibits, technology, personal skills, marketing/public relations and youth services. Recognition of prior learning and experience will be included in the assessment process. I indicated I would provide them with a list of the topics covered in the our Diploma courses. What we have already done maybe of assistance.

During the meeting I was asked to speak briefly about LATIN (Library Assistants/Technicians International Network).

ALA Annual Conference Day 2 - Sunday 24th June 2007

E-Learning / Betha Gutsche, Web Junction, Dale Musselman, Lisa Wozniak and Marrianne Lenox.

Synchronous e-learning: instruction that is lead by a facilitator in real time.
Asynchronous e-learning: studies in their own time and at own pace.
Blended: a combination of both.
Webinar: a seminar conducted online.

Why choose E-Learning
Variety of options to match learning styles
Anytime, anywhere
Collaboration – with other learners and facilitators
Improves technical skills
Greater selection of course topics
Cost – not necessarily expensive
Interaction with a wider community of learners.

Challenges of E-Learning
Initial bad experience
Technophobia
Learning environment distractions
Technical access

E-learning does not have to be courses organised by colleges and universities. Many course can be prepared in-house and provided individually to a learner. As most of these courses are designed by workplaces for staff time should be allocated accordingly during working hours.

Leadership by opportunities taken / Maureen Sullivan, Maureen Sullivan & Associates

1. Leadership: Some Definitions

‘The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority’ – Ken Blanchard
‘When the best leader’s work is done the people say, “We did it ourselves”’ – Lao-Tzu
‘The leader’s job, after all, is not to provide energy but to release it from others’ – Frances Hesselbein
‘Truly successful leadership today requires”teams, collaboration, diversity, innovation, and cooperation. … The leadership we are seekingis one that is empowering, supportive, visionary, problem-solving, creative and shared’ – Warren Bennis and Joan Goldsmith.

2. Leadership in Practice: The Five Areas

Challenge the process:
Look for challenging opportunities to innovate, improve and change.
Experiment and take risks.
Learn from experience. See mistakes as opportunities to learn,

Inspire shared vision:
Clarify your own personal vision.
Adopt a positive and optimistic view of the future.
Invite others to contribute to the creation of a common vision.

Enable others to act:
Foster collaboration and develop trust in relationships.
Empower others.
Delegate to develop competence in others.

Model the way:
Set an example by ensuring that actions follow words and values.
Set a path to achieve consistent progress.
Build commitment.

Engaging the heart:
Recognise contributions.
Celebrate accomplishments.

3. Selected List of Readings on Leadership
Bennis, Warren & Joan Goldsmith. Learning to lead: a workbook on becoming a leader. Addison-Wesley, 1997.
Boyatzis, Richard & Annie McKee. Resonant leaership. Harvard Business School Press, 2005.
Kouzes, James M. & Barry Z. Posner. The leadership challenge. Jossey-Bass, 2002.
Scholtes, Peter R. The leader’s handbook: a guide to inspiring your people and managing the daily workflow. McGraw-Hill, 1998.

Libraries prosper with passion, purpose, persuasion: a PLA toolkit for success / Laura K. Dellinger, Senior Executive Vice President/Principal, Metropolitan Group, LLC.

Libraries have to advocate for themselves.
Libraries have 100’s and 1000’s exceptional stories.
Advocacy has to be pursued from the customer’s perspective. Advocacy is about what the community needs. Centred on audiences need.

Four elements for good advocacy:
Passion
Purpose – goals and defining problem
People – vital audiences
Persuasion

What is the right time to begin advocacy? Anytime.

Engage with others regarding what they do, e.g. education: a library is an essential resource, business: a library can provide access to subscription databases that businesses can’t afford.

Book Cart Drill Team

This was one of the highlights of the conference. Four teams from different parts of the country, comprising about 15 people, perform choreographed routines to music pushing a book cart (shelving trolley). The winners were the Book Divas from Texas.

LSSIRT Night Out

This year the LSSIRT Night Out was held at City Lights of China Restaurant at Du Pont Circle.

ALA Conference Day 1 - Saturday 23rd June 2007

Over the last few years LSSIRT (Library Support Staff Interest Round Table) have held a conference within a conference. For each year the conference has a title of Empowerment and this year it was Empowerment 2007. The specific name was ‘Mama said there’s be days like this (but I didn’t believe her).

As I was a delegate to the full ALA Annual I was able to attend session from both the Empowerment 2007 Conference as well as the ALA Annual.

Welcome Breakfast and Conference Kickoff

A continental breakfast was provided. There were helpful conference tips from LSSIRT members about navigating the conference and getting the best out of it. The guest speaker was Joe Contrera, President and founder of ‘ALIVE@WORK’, a business that speaks, teaches, coaches, and consults with organisations to motivate their people at work. Joe is also author of book titled, ‘LIGHT ‘EM UP: how to ignite the fire in your sales team in just 21 days’.

Next generation libraries: the 2.0 phenomenon / Stephen Abrams, SirisDynix & Joe James, University of Washington

There has been a big shift in the provision of online information. 15 years ago the Internet was just beginning. What is going to happen in the next 15 years. With Web 2.0 or Library 2.0 it is time for libraries / library staff to ‘decloak’. That is to use the blogs, ‘face book’ and ‘myspace’ and promote ourselves and what we do.

‘A library is where you are, not where you go’. This is true now and will be even more evident in the years to come. “Libraries – somewhere, everywhere’.

The presenters indicated they were ‘format agnostics’. They don’t believe in any particular format for a specific piece of work. All they want is access.

We in the profession should not try and out Google, Google. Google can search quickly and easily. The thing that library staff can do is to provide equity of information. The first hits on a Google search are sites that have paid to be there. The best we can do is to provide a range of credible sources.

A library has to be central to the information needs of the community they are serving.

Can blogs be trusted? / Jason Zengerle, The New Republic

The New Republic used to be a weekly newspaper but as there is so much news happening that it had to be published twice a week. To supplement the hardcopy newspaper hey also publish a blog. The entries on the blog are written by journalists and then posted. The blog enables readers to write comments about each story.

There was discussion about how a lot of blogs support one political party or the other and therefore push the views of the party.

“Meet and greet” social hour

This was a good opportunity to meet over a glass of sweet ice tea or water and an ice cream.

Paraprofessional of the Year 2007 Presentation

I was fortunate enough to be asked, with a few others, to attend the reception and presentation of the Paraprofessional of the Year Award to Jackie Cornette. Jackie is the manager of the Western Branch of Watuaga County Library in Sugar Grove, North Carolina. The Award is sponsored by The Library Journal.

ALA Conference

I have attended many library association conferences in Australia and visited many trade shows. However, none of this can prepare you for the ALA Annual. More than 28, 635 delegates, including exhibitors attended. There were 950 exhibiting companies. The exhibition space was so vast you could not walk around it and engage with the exhibitors in the time provided. At conferences is Australia when the sessions are on there is little activity in the exhibition area. Not so at the ALA Annual there are many people visiting the exhibitions stands from the time it opens to time it closes.

The conference had over 300 sessions not including special events such as the Book Cart Drill Teams.

There were film screenings, ‘The Hollywood Librarian’. Keynote speakers, former US Senator Bill Bradley, Robert Kennedy Jr and Julie Andrews and author talks by Judy Blume, Patricia Cromwell and David Baldacci to name just a few.

A few people asked why I was at ALA Annual. The answer is very simple. After you have attended conferences in Australia, participated on conference committees, participated at a senior level in the professional association to obtain a greater understanding of what is going on in the profession you just have to go overseas.

COLT Conference Day 2, part 2 - Friday 22nd June 2007

General Membership Meeting

Attending the meeting was interesting. The meeting had the usual reports, President, Vice President, Treasurer and Membership. COLT is divided into a number of regions. There were reports from Northeast Region, Central Region and Northwest Region. It is at this meeting that the Vice President, Jackie Hite, assumed the role of President and Chris Evan was elected Vice President / President Elect and Robin Martindill were elected as Secretary.

Acquisitions and bibliographic access at the Library of Congress / Susan R. Morris.

‘ABA’ (Acquisitions and Bibliographic Access) was formed in July, 2004 by merging the former Cataloguing and Acquisitions Directorates. The merger takes advantage of technology and allows integration of digital resources into regular processing workflows.

Technology has dramatically changed the work that technicians do in support of acquisitions and bibliographic access. Roles for technicians are varied and growing.

Some technician duties: team management and training; serial check-in in the LC ILS; shelflisting; CIP publisher liaison duties; CIP verification; copy cataloguing.

There are also opportunities for advancement: Administrative Internships; career enhancement vacancies; Affirmative Action Internships; Leadership Development Fellows.

Future for Technicians in ABA: ABA Directorate plans to reorganise October 2008; the reorganisation will assign work to appropriate grade level; ; all copy cataloguing and CIP verification will be done by technicians at earliest possible point in workstream; hybrid acqs/cataloguing technician positions. However, ABA does not expect to hire for the next 2 or 3 years and then they will be looking for technicians with language skills.

Conservation at the Library of Congress / Annlinn Kruger Grossman

Things fall apart. The fact that some things don’t fall apart is not a conservation strategy.

This session provided an overview of the conservation processes of the Library of Congress. There was discussion of the Preservation Directorate’s mission, history, the various collections it administers and its organisation and services. Also, explanations were provided preventative conservation and conservation treatment. Especially, paper conservation and manuscript materials.

Conference Dinner

The conference concluded with dinner at McCormick & Schmick's Resturant.

COLT Conference Day 2, part 1 - Friday 22nd June 2007

Navigating the minefield: understanding power and politics in organizations / Cal Shepard.

Some leadership myths. Leadership is a rare skill. Leaders are born not made.

Definition of leadership: The process by which one individual influences others to accomplish desired goals.

In any organization or situation there are formal leaders and informal leaders.

Types of organizational power:
Legitimate Power – the head of an organization
Reward Power – being able to provide a reward for work done
Coercive Power – being able to institute of some punitive action
Expert Power – having unique knowledge about a particular activity, e.g. IT.
Charisma Power – being able to influence by persuasion and charm.
Referent Power – being on personal terms with someone who has power
Information Power – being able to control the information with an organization.

Learning to lead:
Know yourself
Learn from past experience
Find a mentor
Maximise your skills
Learn from all you meet
See yourself as a leader.

“Crash course …” / Penny Peck

Penny is the author of ‘Crash Course in Children’s Services” a handbook that gives practical advice on performing essential duties in Children’s Services of a public library.

Top ten reasons why we all can do children’s services:

We were all children.
We can do readers advisory, because we can remember books from our childhood; we are parents who read to our children; we can remember books from school.
We can do storytime.
We can all help with homework.
We can do reference work for children.
We can do weeding.
We can do library tours.
We can do programming. As parents we have done kid parties, with food and controlled the chaos.
We can all lead book discussions.
We can train volunteers.

Overview of Library of Congress National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped / Carolyn Hoover Sung

The Service operates through a network of 57 regional and 74 subregional libraries throughout the US. For the 2007 financial year the funding by Congress was over $53 M. With the US Postal Service providing the Service’s material free of postage charges that would make a total annual expenditure of $166 M. Of the $53 M, 80% is spent on books, equipment and other related material and 20% for support services. For 2006 more than 26 million items were circulated to 811,000 users.

Material made available to users of the service are: books, bestsellers, biographies, fiction and how-to books (they have some titles in Spanish); over 70 magazines titles, either audio cassette or Braille, including National Geographic and Good Housekeeping. There is also a music section that can be accessed by users. Playback equipment is provided free of charge.

The current analog cassettes are in the process of being phased out and flash memory books and new digital players specifically designed for individuals with visual and physical disabilities will be made available.

COLT Conference Day 1, part 2 - Thursday 21st June 2007

Converging on the Universal Library: from Memex to Googolplex / Martin Kalfatovic, Smithsonian Institute Libraries.

Memex
Googolplex

Libraries and library work will change more rapidly in the next few years more than in the past 100. Major initiatives to digitize collections will see the formation of large, easily available (sometimes fee-based) online libraries.

Examples of digitalization: Million Book Project, Google Book Project, Open Content Alliance and Biodiversity Heritage Project.

The memory institutions libraries / museums / archives are running out of space. Museums and libraries will be coming together enabling all material pertaining to specific subjects being brought together. This will enable once inaccessible material accessible, create a deepened sense of history and comprehensive and topical material.

The user will be able to slice / dice / reformat / reuse / repurpose material.

Factors that will allow greater information access and use:
Decrease cost of storage, cheap scanning, cheap on demand printing. However, there may be copyright issues that will have to be dealt with.

“Future of audio books” & MyLibrarydv, Video on Demand / Matt Walker, Recorded Books.

Through a partnership arrangement between MyLibrarydv and many public libraries throughout the US, library patrons are able to access movies and TV programs like ‘Antique Roadshow’ and other programs relating to cooking, travel and home renovations. The service is provided to the library for a fee, a quoted fee for a small group of libraries was $550 (US) per annum.

Usually there is a link from the library website to the MyLibrarydv site to download the initial operating software and once that is installed the movies and TV programs are able to be downloaded to patrons own computer. The videos stay on the computer for 7 days and then deleted. Libraries can use the site put up their own videos such as, homework help or information literacy.

The MyLibrarydv company also sell self contained audio books called, ‘Play Away’. The units are completely self contained so that all the user has to do is plug in their own earphones. The ‘Play Away’ audio books are particularly popular with young adults.

Tour of the Supreme Court and Library

The group participated in the public tour of the courtroom where the guide told us of the function and operation of the court, as well as ‘who sits where’ and information about the artwork around the room.

We then had a tour of the Library, showing us the reading/research room, technical services and the basketball court.

COLT Conference Day 1, part 1 - Thursday 21st June 2007

Thirty-one paraprofessionals attended the COLT Conference at the Westin Hotel in Washington DC. Delegates came from the following states: Florida, Washington DC, Ohio, Arizona, Virginia, California, Illinois, Rhode Island, Washington, New Mexico, North Carolina and Australia. Numbers are down this year due to lack of funding to library support staff.

Here are the sessions for the first day:

Trends in library management & organization and how they impact support staff and paraprofessionals / John Berry III, Editor at Large, Library Journal.

John commenced his talk with a reflection on when he started in the profession, as a librarian (without a qualification - MLS), in 1954. At that time the majority of library staff did not have qualifications and not much has changed as the majority of staff that work in libraries (paraprofessionals) don't have a MLS qualification either.

Paraprofessionals who take on extra duties as a result of budget cuts without any extra salary increase are being exploited. But he then said to many being underpaid and exploited is better that not being paid at all. However, it is time for librarians to reposition themselves and their roles.

He said it is important to paraprofessionals (and this should apply to all members of the profession) should be organised. Participate in discussion lists, COLT and ALA. Create alternate career paths and participate in continuing education. Develop your own job description on the work you actually do and compare it to the one you have and note the extra level of difficulty.
Paraprofessionals should be joining with librarians on these issues and not doing battle with them. No apologies should be made for being organised.

"And where am I going to park it" / Patricia Pasqual, DC Public Library.

Why have a Bookmobile? - Primarily to make people happy. Some negatives are: environment and fuel prices. Also, where are you going to park it.

Bookmobile function - Rolling library, books media and Internet, programs and special activities, billboard about library activities.

Internet access - can connect to Internet using wireless. However can not connect to Council Intranet due to security issues. Unable to connect to circulation system. Therefore patron information and loan have to be done manually and the system records updated later.

Some other considerations - 'Ride the Route' for problem areas, 'loo breaks' for staff, security issues - panic buttons and policy, 'no staff left in van by themselves', no financial transactions occur on the bookmobile, visit other organisations that use similar heavy vehicles, staffing - drivers higher allowances and training defensive driving techniques.

OCLC FirstSearch research sharing update/Connexion Client / Marla Chesler & Clark Brown.

FirstSearch offers access to dozens of databases and more than 10 million full-text and full-image articles. More than 22,000 libraries use OCLC First Search.

OCLC WorldCat.org http://www.worldcat.org/
30+ million citations
Resolution to full text for IP authenticated users.

Social & Collaborative Services - services that support user workflow and connect users with common interests.

Upcoming features - identities integration, institution search, open access material search and social functionality.

WorldCat Local
Goal: deliver the capacity of the library community to the user, e.g. collections, services, community, expertise, place. Alternative discovery experience, customised view of WorldCat.org that can serve as a library or library consortium's local discovery service.

Components of WorldCat Local - content (metadata), branded version of WorldCat.org, interoperability with local delivery environment.

Integration with local delivery environment
Circulation – request/place hold via circulation or via intra-consortial borrowing system.
Inter library loan – interoperability with OCLC ILL, ILLiad, VDX
Online full text – direct access to FirstSearch, ECO, Netlibrary; linking to OpenURL Resolver.

What makes WorldCat Local unique?
Shared-platform approach
Access to the global network
Syndication across the network.

Conferences

I intended to do daily posts of what I did at the COLT and ALA Conferences as it happened. However, I just ran out of time at the end of each day. I will do the posts for each day of the conferences when I get home.

Washington 5

If you were to drive in this city and another driver honked their horn at you, being offendered would be the last thing you should feel. Sounding the horn is the first reaction any driver does if they consider another driver has done something they consider inappropriate. Horns are sounded so often they lose their effect.

In addition to honking, there is also the police (and other) sirens as they escort senior government officials and diplomats around town.

This can be a very noisy place!

Washington 4

There weather was in the 80's today and with a breeze, which made getting around Washington a little bit easier.

Today saw me hopping on a open topped double decker tour bus for a ride around Washington. Hearing all the touristie things was interesting. Got off at Georgetown for lunch and also at the Lincoln Memorial. The Lincoln Memorial is also the location of some other of the other National war memorials, in particular the Vietnam Memorial. The Vietnam Memorial is the wall with all the names of the service men who lost their lives during the Vietnam War, engraved on it. I have to say the Lincoln Memorial is as impressive as it appears to be from films or magazines.

BTW. Riding around in a double decker bus wasn't the first time for me. They used to be plentiful on some of the bus routes near home when I was a little 'un.

Washington 3

It got to 99 degrees F today and it was very hazy. You could hardly see the Capitol from the White House, a view many will recall seeing on TV or in the movies. It is supposed to be cooler for the next few days.

Went off to LC today. Participated in the public guided tour. There are 3 parts to LC, Jefferson, Adams and Madison buildings all close to each other and joined by underground tunnel. The Jefferson Building has the reading room and the others are the stacks. There are over 500 miles of shelving. The Great Hall has murals and sculptures and a lot of marble. Unfortunately, the public tour is just that related to what the public may find interesting. Other than copyright there was no mention of the significance of LC within the profession.

Williamsburg, VA

Visited the Earl Gregg Swem Library at the College of William & Mary today. The College is called William and Mary as it is named after the two Royals who granted the College its Royal Chater in 16--, King William and Queen Mary. This College (university) is the 2nd oldest in the US. It has 7,500 students of which 5,000 are undergrads.

Earl Gregg Swem, was a historian and a librarian of the College and hence the library was named after him. It has recently been refurbushed and has an information commons area and many open spaces for the students. It has one of the largest collections of Thomas Jefferson manuscripts. However, these are held off site. (I will be posting photos of the library once I get home.)

For my Mac U readers LC is their classification scheme of choice. I was told there are still a couple of Uni's that use DDC.

For Janette, the temperature got to 94 degrees F today. No idea of what that is in C. But for us old people who remember when the temperature was recorded in F, that was mighty warm.

Washington 2

Today it was a walk to the White House, well to the gates thereof, the White House Information Centre, the Smithsonian Castle (Information Centre) and the Air and Space Museum.

For the uninformed and watches of West Wing like me. The Oval Office is part of the West Wing and not part of the White House. The White House is, as we know, the residence of the First Family and for formal functions. Upon reflection where else could it have been other than the West Wing, as all the staffers were able to get to Leo's / CJ's office, which is adjacent to the Oval Offcie, as quickly as they did.

The Air and Space Museum is very interesting. It has heaps of stuff, as you would expect in a museum. It gives a detailed history of flight from the Wright Bros., through World War I and II, to contemporary space travel. It is also very interactive enabling the young and young at heart to experiment in building aircraft.

It is school holidays (Summer vaction) here and you imagine what that means.

Washington 1

So far the trip went well, watched some movies and played a couple of computer games. When I got to LAX I would have really liked a beer however it was 7.30 am (LA time). But to my mind it was midnight Sydney time and I reckon I deserved one after the flight. The trip from LA to Washington didn’t have the whiz bangery of the one to LA so it was a time for reflection. One thing I have learned, it is ‘coffee with cream or milk’ not a ‘cup of white coffee’ as I would have said a couple of days ago.